It’s a typical school night; dinner dishes have been cleared and you’re packing lunches for tomorrow. After a long day, your bed is calling you. Suddenly, your kid comes rushing in, frantically digging through their school bag and tells you, “I have homework!” A feeling of dread washes over you as this simple phrase threatens to ruin the rest of your night. You see them pull out a packet of algebra questions. Do you remember enough algebra to help them if they need it? Relief replaces dread as you see them start marking down answers. You repress the need to ask them why they waited until it was so late. Crisis averted.
You go back to slathering peanut butter on bread when you notice that your kid has their phone unlocked next to them on the table. They pick it up, snap a photo of one of their math problems, and then go back to scribbling down an answer. You quickly realize that they’re using AI — the phenomena that they keep pushing at the office and that appears on the news almost every night — to give them the answers to their math problems. Isn’t that cheating? Should you scold them? It is saving your night. Should you block AI from their phone or just talk to them about it? What should you say?
AI, what’s the right approach
These are the questions many parents are asking themselves as AI continues to permeate through our and our children’s everyday lives. Generative AI tools, often called chatbots, are certainly going to be around for a while, so it’s important for parents to set intentional boundaries and to talk to their children about how to use them responsibly.
Dr. Chris Hamady, director of technology for Anthony Wayne Local Schools warns that “…relying solely on automated tools can weaken students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and original writing abilities.” These abilities are learned through productive struggle. When a student puts in the effort to work through a difficult problem without outside help and eventually finds the correct answer on their own, deep neural pathways are built. Getting the answer from AI skips that entire process. Those neural pathways aren’t formed, and they don’t gain the confidence that is learned through mastery. Additionally, chatbots often present fallacies as fact. AI can usually be trusted with math problems, but when it comes to theoretical topics or things where opinions can vary, AI can provide inaccurate information. The real problem is that the chatbots present this information with absolute confidence, allowing a child’s developing mind to struggle discerning fact from fiction.
It’s not all doom and gloom
“AI tools offer many opportunities to support learning, such as tutoring that can be tailored to each student’s learning style and pace, breaking down complex concepts step-by-step, or providing quiz-like review sessions of class material,” said Hamady.
When used responsibly, chatbots can function as an always available personalized tutor. It can be used to re-explain complex topics from school or check their answers for accuracy. As a parent, you can use AI to assist you in helping your student. Can’t remember how to solve an equation or where a comma should go? Pop it into a chatbot for a quick reminder.
Early exposure to AI, used responsibly, also teaches digital literacy. And when used wisely, AI can increase critical thinking. Both skills that can help them in their adult careers. For neurodivergent students or those with learning difficulties, AI can offer customized assistance, quick summaries of topics and even brainstorming prompts to help get the creative juices flowing.
A final word of advice, Dr. Hamady suggests, “Just like with any technology resource, parents should carefully monitor their child’s use. They should always engage with their child to track learning, ensure the integrity of the generated information, and maintain academic honesty.” AI can be a powerful assistant, but it should not be a replacement for human curiosity, face-to-face discussion, or real world learning. Just as physical tools can be dangerous, chatbots pose their own danger to the minds of children. Luckily, it’s never too late to sit down with them and have an open discussion about the proper use of AI.
3 Actions you can take today to protect your children from the risks of AI
• Keep devices in shared spaces: Limit the use of AI to shared spaces, such as the kitchen table or family room so you can monitor how your children use it.
• Set ground rules: Teach and show your students how to use AI responsibly by brainstorming ideas, breaking down complex topics or checking their answers, but never for copying and pasting generated work. Helping Your Kids Use AI the Right Way Parenting in the age of AI By Nathan Jacobs
• Verify facts with local resources: Encourage kids to fact check information supplied by chatbots using trusted research tools, such as the digital databases provided by the Toledo Lucas County Public Library.
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